For today’s tutorial, I wanted to share something fun for the upcoming Halloween holiday. I love reusing items like Starbucks Frappaccino bottles. They are so nice and sturdy that once I’m done with my drink, I can’t bring myself to throw away or even recycle them. They are the perfect shape and size for filling with candy and giving as a quick gift. This is such a great recycle craft idea.

Materials:

Materials:

Cardstock

Patterned Paper

Paint

Die Cutting

Ribbon or twine

Gemstones

Stamp

Ink

Glitter tape

Adhesive

Instructions:

Clean and remove bottle labels using Un-Du sticker remover or a similar product.

Choose your die cuts and patterned papers and trim them to 2-¼” in height. If you don’t have a die cutting system, find a template you like online and cut by hand.

Stamp small sentiments and trim them down.

Spray paint bottle caps with two coats. Allow to dry in between.

Adhere patterned paper, then die cuts, next sentiments and lastly gemstones and sequins.

Tuck tied ribbon behind your front piece.

I created my pieces in the Silhouette Design Studio with print-and-cut pieces from Echo Park. You can also search on Pinterest for free Halloween printable and just cut those out as well.

It’s that time again . . .

What’s the worst part about Halloween?

That’s a trick question. There are no bad parts of Halloween, only good parts and better parts! Halloween is a crafter’s paradise, bursting with reasons to start fun new projects. In fact, there are so many crafting opportunities that the biggest difficulty can be narrowing down the field. Thankfully, AllFreeSewing stepped up to the plate this year to round up the Complete Crafty Guide to Halloween, featuring the very best of Halloween crafts! This guide has everything: Halloween recipes, DIY home decor, homemade costume ideas … if a project is awesome, crafty, and Halloween-themed, it’s here.

Eatin’ Good: Halloween Treats

The best part of Halloween trick-or-treating is dumping your haul on the kitchen floor when you get home and gorging yourself on sugary goodness. This year, help your kids trick-or-treat in true style, with one of these awesome homemade trick-or-treat bags! Then impress all the neighbors’ children by handing out incredible homemade peanut butter cups.

Sittin’ Pretty: DIY Home Decor

Pumpkins are everybody’s favorite part of fall. They look good, they taste good, and they make for some seriously fun carving. Add a little pumpkin spice to your Halloween decorations with one of these unique pumpkin sewing patterns. Whether you opt for the Fantastic Fall Pumpkin or the Pumpkin Wall Hanging, your house will be ready for the season.

Lookin’ Fly: Easy Homemade Halloween Costumes

There’s nothing more charming than a little prince. This collection of homemade Halloween costumes will give your kid an adorable edge over his or her fellow trick-or-treaters. Whether they want to get gussied up like a Disney Princess or are prepared to scare as one of the recently risen dead, like a mummy or a ghost, you’ll be able to find plenty of easy sewing patterns in the Complete Crafty Guide that cater to their Halloween whims.

Halloween is a great time of the year to get your craft on. Whether you make your own costume, decorate your home, or carve your own pumpkin, there are so many ways that you can celebrate the holiday with your own handmade ideas. One of my favorite projects for Halloween involve no cutting or scooping at all. No need to get all that nasty pumpkin goo on your hands or in your house if you don’t want to. You can create a no carve pumpkin that will be a staple in your Halloween decor for years to come. We’ve teamed up with Elmer’s to bring you this awesomely easy Halloween craft, that takes very few supplies. Just because you aren’t spending that much on product, this rhinestone pumpkin will make your Halloween set up look like a million dollars.

Use a scrap piece of ribbon, marker, and ruler to mark off how you want your rhinestones spaced on your pumpkin. My pumpkin was 8″ tall and I spaced my rhinestones every 1/2″.

Secure your ribbon to your pumpkin as a guide for your rhinestones. I used masking tape but any tape will work.

Squeeze out small dots of glue according to your guide. This glue works great, so you only need a small amount. It also dries completely clear, which is awesome. Once you complete the first row, you can use that row as your guide for the rest or resecure the ribbon to the next area as your marker.

Complete each section and go all the way around your pumpkin.

This is a very simple craft and I’ve seen plenty of blinged out decor lately in the stores but you can make this fabulous Halloween craft for a fraction of the cost. The results will impress your friends.

You might think 155 Halloween Crafts for Kids is a trick, but you’re in for a treat. From easy Halloween decorations to the coolest homemade Halloween costumes to sweet and spooky kids’ Halloween recipes, the Ultimate Kids Halloween Crafts Guide from AllFreeKidsCrafts has every awesome kids’ Halloween idea you could possibly ask for. You won’t want to miss a single one of these incredible Halloween kids’ crafts!

Homemade Halloween Costumes

Whether your kids want to be a strong superhero, a ferocious jungle beast, or a pretty princess, there’s a costume on this list for them. Your kids will love making and wearing these fun and easy kids’ Halloween costumes, and their friends will never believe their awesome costume is homemade, not store-bought. And of course, you’ll love helping your kids achieve their creative Halloween vision. Try tiptoeing through trick-or-treating with the Lucky Ladybug Costume, or battle on the high seas with these Scurvy Pirate Outfits and Swords!

“Double, double toil and trouble; Fire burn, and caldron bubble.” Welcome the spookiest (and most fun) night of the year with witches’ chants, scary movies, and, most importantly, Halloween crafts for kids. Whether you know that spell from Shakespeare’s Weird sisters, from Mary Kate and Ashley’s movie of the same title, or just by hearsay, it’s iconic, bringing memories of Halloweens past rushing back.

Make October 31st a special night for the kids by introducing them to the fun customs of the evening. Show them the best Halloween films, dress them up in their requested costume, and take them from house to house for a sugar rush. It’s simple to stay away from the creepy and keep with the slightly spooky fun when you follow the guide to a happy Halloween: 19 Halloween Crafts for Kids: Homemade Halloween Costume Ideas and Spooky Decor. All of the crafts in this ghoulish guide are appropriate, easy, fun, and thrilling, bringing Halloween back to an innocent celebration of imagination.

This spectacular collection of crafts will give you ideas to keep the anticipation building throughout the fall, culminating in amazing eerie evening. Forget those pop-up Halloween shops and keep the holiday inexpensive by crafting your own costumes and decorations. No one has ever won first prize in a costume contest wearing a store-bought ensemble. These ribbon-worthy homemade Halloween costume ideas are unique, guaranteeing that the judges take a second look.

With this free eBook by your side, you’ll be ready to spook and smile the moment the clock strikes midnight (or when you wake up in the morning). Deck your house out in petrifying projects and dress yourself in clever costumes to make this Halloween the best yet.

Spooky Decorative Halloween Crafts for Kids

Attract trick-or-treaters from near and far with the best Halloween decorations your neighborhood has ever seen. The best part about these dark decorations is that they’re all extremely inexpensive to make, keeping more money in your pocket for important things like candy. Your awesome decorative Halloween crafts will slightly scare guests, and then cause a bunch of giggles when they find out what your projects are truly made of. We’ve got pumpkins, witches, goblins, ghouls, ghosts, and skeletons covered in 19 Halloween Crafts for Kids: Homemade Halloween Costume Ideas and Spooky Decor, so no important Halloween symbol will be left out. Craft all of the decorations in this free eBook, and you’ll be ready to accept the award for coolest house on the block.

Homemade Halloween Costume Ideas

There’s no way your Halloween will be complete without an awesome homemade Halloween costume. Luckily, we’ve taken care of the hard part: thinking of original ideas that will make you stand out from the crowd. All that’s left to do is assemble your Viking, princess, superhero, or pig, and that’s easy as can be. Simply print out the tutorial and follow the simple steps to Halloween costume contest victory. There are costume ideas for absolutely every type of kid in this great guide, so don’t worry about having to wear the same costume as your brother. Impress classmates, friends, and fellow trick-or-treaters with your out-of-this-world, unique, homemade Halloween costume ideas.

Halloween’s fast approaching, and with all this preparation for costumes and parties, it’s easy to forget about decorations for the outside of your home. I can’t count the number of times I’ve been stuck rushing from store to store in a last minute attempt to find Halloween decorations (not even thinking about the price!). The editors at AllFreeHolidayCrafts don’t want you to be stuck in the same situation this year, so we’ve put together a quick list of some hassle-free suggestions for outdoor Halloween decorations that we think you’ll want to try out.

Along Came a Spider Wreath – Wreaths are all the rage, and this one is the perfect combination of freaky and fashionable. The bright green color really stands out, and the feathers add a creepy twist. This is one Halloween decoration that will add some festive attitude to your decor.

Pretty Perforated Pumpkins – This is one of the chicest Halloween decoration ideas that we’ve seen this year. It’s so simple, but the effect is sure to draw attention to your front yard. Not all pumpkin carvings have to be tricky to look eye-catching.

Spiderweb Silhouette Lantern – Pumpkins and Jack O’Lanterns don’t have to be your only source of light. Bring a professional look to your outdoor Halloween decor without the price tag. Use your favorite Halloween templates to design your own lantern that’s sure to last year after year.

Clever Graveyard Headstones – For a vintage look, design your own Halloween headstones. Whether they’re funny or frightening is totally up to you. This is a great way to get ideas from other creative family members as well.

Garbage Bag Lawn Ghosts – Animate your lawn with characters made entirely of household materials. If you don’t want your decorations to be too scary, get your little ones to help you draw on some happy faces. You can even create a fun little pose for them to do in your yard.

Blood and Guts Yard Prop – If you’re looking to give trick-or-treaters a bit of a scare, try out this thrifty Halloween craft. You won’t even need to spend $10 on it because it’s made with recyclables from around your house. Who knew such detailed props could be created from everyday objects?

DIY Life Size Mummy – Be daring by creating something big and bold to stand on your front porch. This Halloween decoration is also great for indoor parties or haunted houses. There is no way you’ll find anything like this in stores.

Milk Jug Ghosts – Recycling crafts are getting more and more popular this year, and this one is the perfect way to guide guests to and from your home on Halloween. Find a new way to dress up your lights that’s both kooky and eco-friendly. This project is also a great kid’s craft, as it’s safe and only requires a permanent marker and their imagination.

In general I don’t consider myself an especially “green” person. There is, however, one major exception. When it comes to holiday decorating, I love making crafts from recycled materials. Not only does it save me some cash (that I can then spend on more important things, like Halloween candy!), but it also lets me get creative, finding unique ways to to turn things from my trash bin into really cool decorations and other fun Halloween stuff.

This year I’m really excited to make a couple of projects in particular. I’ve literally been stashing away plastic bottles and cardboard boxes since August, and now that Halloween is only three weeks away I can FINALLY start making these cool decorations:

These Plastic Bottle Skull Lights are going to look awesome strung up on my front porch. I love the way they glow and the little skull faces are too perfect! I can’t get over how clever this idea is — plus each light comes out to about 50 cents since the only materials you need are empty milk bottles, some electrical tape and battery-operated tea lights.

When I first saw these adorable Mummy Boxes, I knew I had to make them for my Halloween party. Not only are these mummies the perfect Halloween prop because they stand up on their own, they’re also incredibly cheap to make! Basically all you need is an old white sheet and some recycled cardboard boxes and you can fashion yourself this spook-tacular Halloween decoration in under an hour!

Last but not least there’s my absolute favorite Halloween recycling craft: this ridiculously clever Broom with Crushed Can Witches. I’m not a huge fan of wreaths for Halloween — I think they’re just too pretty, and Halloween is supposed to be about all things spooky — so I’m loving this alternative door decoration. I think it’s so funny how the witches are screaming out for help as they melt into the broom — or at least that’s what I’m imagining is going on in this scene! If you’re like me and have a slight addiction to Diet Coke — or any other canned beverage for that matter — you already have one of the key supplies! Just grab a broom prop from the Halloween store (or use a real one if you want to be really authentic) and gather a few additional supplies and voila: you have an awesome Halloween decoration unlike any other on the block!

I think you can tell how excited I am to make all of these projects. The idea of a totally “green” Halloween just seems really cool, not to mention trendy.

If you’re interested in going green for Halloween too, check out these 17 Halloween Recycling Crafts. Go take a peek in your recycling bin and see what kind of treasure you can find. There’s no sense in letting perfectly good trash go to waste when there are fun Halloween decorations to be made!

I’m curious: Have you made decorations from recycled materials before? What have you made?

Can you believe Halloween is just around the corner? I haven’t seen many home decorations up yet, but I’ve certainly seen them all in stores along with all the thousands of bags of candy! I won’t lie, I bought myself a bag of candy to leave in my desk at work; we all get sweet cravings, don’t we?

Anyway, with the fun holiday quickly approaching I wanted to share my collection page with you of 10 Pumpkin Patterns: Free Crochet Patterns to Make for Halloween. There are cute patterns in here for everyone. Make a little baby beanie for baby’s first Trick or Treating experience or crochet some fun holiday decor like the Crocheted Easy Halloween Trio.

Whatever spooky ideas you have for Halloween can turn into some pretty crafty projects!

Which Pumpkin pattern is your favorite from this collection?

Every year around this time, just as I’m getting ready to flip my calendar page to September, I find my mind skipping ahead to Halloween. Maybe it’s because there’s a big holiday lull between Independence Day and the Fall holidays, or maybe it’s just because I absolutely love decorating and dressing up for Halloween. Whatever the reason, Halloween always ends up being the main focus of my daydreaming during September and October.

If you’re like me and already have your Halloween costume planned (and probably have for months now), I’m guessing you’re also probably itching to start decking your place out in spooky (or cute) decorations. I know I’m not the only one that starts putting up Halloween decor in September! That’s why I decided to get a head start on my Halloween crafting this year, and to help all of my fellow early bird holiday crafters out, I’ve put together a collection of my favorite DIY Halloween decorations.

I love to make my kids’ Halloween costumes! We try to brainstorm something original each year and we make it ourselves because we know that handmade costumes always win the costume contests! This year we made a tongue-in-cheek Lady Gaga with meaty doggy toys and a Krispie Kreme Zombie named “Krispie Skreme”.

Phyllis Dobbs I love crafting for Halloween This year I created 4 projects in various techniques, a basket with a decoupaged pumpkin, a treat tote bag repurposed from a teeshirt, a pumpkin placemat and a Halloween apron with a spider pocket. I loved them all but my favorite is the apron. I love sewing and designing aprons and this apron was a lot of fun, created in orange and black with rick rack and button embellishment. The instructions for all my craft projects are free on my blog and are designed so that by omitting the “Halloween” embellishments, the projects can be used for other seasons.

Jen Goode from JGoode DesignsMy favorite DIY project for Halloween is making the kids costumes. It gives me the opportunity to really go above and beyond with the creative thinking to make something practical or not, full of fun. I get excited when I find things around the house that can be transformed into something new and maybe even a little magicall. Also, I really love having another excuse to use my hot glue gun.

Note: to learn how to make this cute craft, visit Allison’s blog above!

Alyice Edrich from the Dabbling Mum One thing we cannot do without each year are Jack-o-Lanterns. We always allow the kids to draw the design and cut them out. When they move out, it’ll be us adults taking on that role. The next DIY project would be pumpkin seeds from the pumpkins that are carved. It is probably the only time of year we actually eat pumpkin seeds. As for an artsy DIY project, we get creative with our foods. We like to make funky food. One year we made vomit soup, another year we made frankenstein meatloaf. This year we made bread hands.

I have two favorites so if either interest you, feel free to use. 1. A Halloween Tree. Already had tree which we made last Christmas, but what was such fun was making the ornaments with our grandkids. Here are some of the ornaments we made, then the tree.

2. Item I loved making was the oddest pumpkin family ever. I enjoyed doing this because it was so quick, easy, fun and used up leftovers.Link to blog post on this one.

Myléne Hillam from Mill Lane StudioHalloween is not really celebrated in Australia although it is gaining in popularity, especially amongst children! After all, what kid doesn’t like candy! So crafting for Halloween isn’t really big down under either. But this year I created a Faux Perfume Bottle necklace in Halloween colours to mark the occasion.

Tiffany Windsor from Cool2Craft.comThe one DIY project that really stands out in my memory is a decorated wire hanger. What does that have to do with Halloween you ask? When I was a child, my mother Aleene had my sisters and me make hand-made gifts to give to each of the houses where we went trick or treating. I remember when we said Trick or Treat and would get our treats, we would give a gift of bump chenille covered wire hangers decorated with pretty ribbons and flowers. The house owner was always so surprised to get a gift back! I didn’t realize it at the time, but it was actually a brilliant marketing idea for my mom to promote the classes at her store. For me Halloween is really a time to celebrate fall. I love the colors of fall – the trees still grasping on to their brilliant green leaves while bright red, orange and yellow leaves dance in the wind. I have several projects underway in my studio which celebrate the colors of fall!

Candace Liccione from Inspired At Home I set up little fall and Halloween vignettes all around the house. I pile up raffia, and place real and fake pumpkins and gourds in place, while tucking in other fall items like branches, leaves, etc. I use the same items each year but in a different way. Everyone thinks I spent forever setting up the displays but it only takes a couple of minutes.

Kathy from Merriment DesignI made my one-year-old daughter Elise’s Halloween costume. It was a dress with a big sun on the front, rainbow on the back, and a sun hat with rays on it. All made out of fleece and felt so it’s super cozy. She is my little ray of sunshine!

Amy Anderson from Modge Podge RocksI like any unusual colored Halloween items – I love purple, orange and black but I also like to use something unexpected! This year I made a silver wreath with a glittery turquoise skull and blue and green bats. It says “BOO” in big turquoise letters. Same Halloween icons but with a special twist!

Shannon Bielke from Shaandco.net My favorite Halloween project? Always, the costumes! My children are too old for trick or treating, so I make costumes for various kids of friends, or some of my students at school. This year I made a beautiful fairy princess for a 6 year old, a caveman costume for a 10 year old, a mermaid for a 7th grader, and a Heath Ledger Joker costume. Of course I worked on my own costume, too – a gypsy fortune-teller.

Full Project Tutorials

Whether you’ve been knitting all of your life or you’ve never seen a knitting needle, everyone seems to be curious about knitting looms. How do they work? What are they? For a start, instead of using traditional straight or circular knitting needles to turn yarn into fabric, a knitting loom uses pegs. Knitting looms come […]